Self closing and locking joint for structural elements



C. L. VAN NOST'BAND.

SELF CLOSING AND LOCKING JOlNT FOR STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, 1919.

1,367,643. Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE.

CHARLES L. VAN NOSTR-AND, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

SELF CLOSING AND LOCKING JOINT FOR STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS.

Application filed February 3, 1919.

To all whom it may conccwt:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. VAN Nosrnann, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful improvements in SelfClosing and Locking Joints for Structural Elements, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to structures such as caskets, vaults, buildingsor other cubical structures, and particularly to a joint be tween thewalls thereof.

The general object of the invention is to provide a joint for the wallsof these structures which will be interlocking and selfclosing under theweight of the structure itself, and in this connection provide joints ofsuch construction that the weight of the walls and the weight ofmaterial on the structure will act to. draw the side walls of thestructure together and securely lock these walls.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figurel is a perspective view of a structure embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one end of the element B;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing opposite ends of the element D andlooking toward its inside face;

Fig. at is a perspective view of one end of the element 0 looking towardits inside face; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the adjacent ends of the twoelements slightly separated.

In the drawings, 1 have illustrated my invention as applied to an oblongor cubical chest or container of like shape which might be made of slabsof stone or concrete, or might be made of any suitable material. It isto be understood, however, that the draw ings are purely illustrative ofone application ofmy improved joint and that I do not wish to be limitedto the use of this joint to a box-like structure of the characterdescribed. In these figures, A designates the bottom of the structure,13 the front wall, C the rear wall, D the end walls, and E the cover. Itwill be noted from Fig. 1 that the front wall B has total length equalto the length of the bottom, but that this front Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Serial No. 274,653.

wall at its ends is cut away from its lower edge to a pointapproximately half way be tween its top and bottom, as at 10, and thatthe corresponding end wall D has a total length equal to or greater thanthe width of the bottom A but that its forward edge 1s cut away, as at11 from the top downward. this cut-away portion 11 being complementaryto the cut-away portion 10. The front wall B, at its ends, is reduced inthickness, as at 12 from the top downward, for a portion of its heigl'itwhich terminates in a beveled face or shoulder 12, while each end wallis also reduced in thickness at its end engaging with the front wall Band from its lower edge up to a point somewhat above the cutaway portion10. as at 12 terminating in a beveled face 12, this beveled faceextending upward and outward toward the inside face of the end wall D.That portion ltof the front B which overhangs the pro ecting part of thewall D at its lower end, is downwardly and laterally and downwardly andinwardly beveled, as at 15, while that portion 16 of the wall D disposedbelow the portion 1 1 of the wall B at its upper end is downwardly andlaterally beveled and downwardly and inwardly beveled. Thus, the face ofthe portion 15 fits against and interlocks with the face of the portion16 and this interlock is such that the inclination of these faces resistany movement of the parts away from each other, either in the plane ofthe wall B or the plane of the wall D, and these two beveled faces willcause the weight of the wall B to draw the walls B and D into closecontiguity and the greater the weight of the wall'B or the greater thedownward pressure on the wall B, the greater will be the strength withwhich these walls are held together. lVhat is stated above with relationto the front wall and one wall D is equally true with regard to theother wall. D and the same interlock is used.

The wall G and the walls D have the same sort of joint as the walls Band D, except that in this case the upper portion of the rear end of thewall D is extended beyond the lower portion thereof, while the lowerportions of the ends of the wall C are extended beyond the upperportion. The

walls D and C are rabbeted in the same manner as the walls B and D arerabbeted. The upper edge face of the lower portion 17 of the wall G isdownwardly and outwardly Cir and dmvnwardly and laterally beveled as at15 and the lower face of the projecting portion 18 of the wells D isbeveled in the same manner. Thus the same interlock is formed betweenthe walls C and D as between B and D, except that it is the weight ofthe walls D and any pressure thereon which causes the wall 0 to be drawninward against the end. of the walls D.

The reduced portions 12 and 12 and the beveled faces 12 and 12 are veryimportant factors in the construction of my wall, in that these reducedor rabbeted portions 12 and 12 form shoulders limiting the inwardmovement of the walls relative to each other. The shoulders formed bythe beveled faces 12 and 12 act to prevent the upward movement of thefront or rear walls relative to the end walls. If it *ere not for theseshoulders 12- and 12, the front and rear walls could move upwardrelative to the end walls, or the end walls could move verticallyrelative to the front and rear walls. Thus, for instance, in Fig. 1 thefront wall B could move upward relative to the end walls I), or the endwalls D downward relative to the front wall B, if it were not for theseconfronting shoulders 12" and 12, while the rear wall could movedownward relative to the end walls D, or the end walls D move upwardtoward the rear wall C, if it "were not for these confronting shoulders.Thus, the beveled shoulders 15 and 15 and the beveled shoulders 12 and12 prevent this relative upward and downward movement, and any tendencyto move in this manner causes these beveled faces 12 and 12 to operateagainst each other and there is a tendency for the walls to wedgeoutward, which, however, is resisted by the thrust of the earth on allsides of the walls.

It is to be particularly pointed out that in my construction the beveledends 15 of the portions 14 have a wedging engagement with the beveledfaces 15 so that the pressure of the earth, tends to force these partstogether and the whole weight of the casket, sarcophagus, or vault willforce these parts into this interlocking wedging engagement and thewhole weiaht supported by these in.- clined or beveled faces. This formof vault is particularly desirable where desiccation is desired. Thiscannot take place in a sealed marble vault, for it is air-tight andwaterproof and placed below frost, and thus it is impossible for theeinbalrned body to become desiccated. Many people desire thisdesiccation but, of course, wish a vault or sarcophagus which will notcrush. A sarcophagus constructed in accordance with my invention willsupport tons of earth above it, but the joints are such that thedifferent members of the sarcophagus will be locked and cannot comeapart until the weight off-earth above it is removed, while at the sametime there is no necessity of cementing or sealing the joints, and thusa sarcophagus is provided which will permit desiccation.

lit is further to be particularly noted that the sarcophagus is notformed of a plurality of small sections liable to come apart underpressure and requiring very skilled workmanship in putting it up, but issimply formed of four walls, a bottom and a top, and the sarcophagus maye assembled merely by putting the floor of the sarcophagus in place,then placing on it the front wall, the end walls, and the rear wall inturn, slipping the joints into each other as the slabs are put in place,and that once these parts are in place and the earth taniped downaround. the tomb, the parts are held in this position ready for thereceptionv of the coliin. After the collin has been lowered into thetomb, the lid may be placed thereon, and once the lid is in place andthe earth filled in, it impossible for the elements of the tomb tobecome disjointed.

a lso in many cases it is desirable that the portions 18 of the walls Dshall extend beyond the outer face of the rear wall 0 so as to formbrackets for the support of the lid or cover E when the latter israised. These projecting brackets are particularly neces sary where mycontainer is used as a grave vault and is necessary to support the upperslab in an open position during interment. It will be seen that theweight of the cover and the weight of the superincumbent earth, wherethe container is being used as a grave vault, causes the ends and sidewalls of the vault to be drawn closely together and interlocked witheach other without the use of cement and that the greater the pressureupon the top of the vault, the more closely will thewalls hold together.

lit is again to be noted that this form of joint may be applied to alarge number of different structures and that I do not wish to belimited to any particular structure in which this joint may be used.

I claim 1. A structure of the character described having longitudinallyextending front and back walls and transversely extending end walls, thefront wall at the lower portion of its ends being cut away and the upperportion of the forward ends of the end walls being similarly cut awaywhereby the front wall overlaps, the upper portions of the end walls,and the lower portions of the end walls overlap the lower portions ofthe front wall, the confronting end faces of said overlapping portionsbeing beveled downwardly and longitudinally and downwardly and laterallywhereby to interlock the end walls with the front wall, the lowerportions of the other ends of the end walls being similarly cut away andthe upper" portions of the ends of the rear wall being cut away wherebythe upper portions of the end walls Wlll overlap the upper portions ofthe rear wall, the confronting faces of said end portions of the endwalls and rear wall being beveled downwardly and laterally anddownwardly and longitudinally whereby to cause said walls to interlock,the confronting, overlapping portions of the front and rear walls beingreduced in thickness, the ends of said reduced portions formingconfronting shoulders.

2. A structure of the character described having longitudinallyextending front and back walls and transversely extending end walls, thefront wall at the lowerportion of its ends being cut away and the upperportion of the forward ends of the end walls being similarly cut awaywhereby the front wall overlaps the upper portions of the end walls, andthe lower portions of the end walls overlap the lower portions of thefront wall, the confronting end faces of said overlapping portions beingbeveled downwardly and longitudinally and downwardly and laterallywhereby to interlock the end walls with the front wall, the lowerportions of the other ends of the end walls being similarly cut away andthe upper portions of the ends of the rear wall being cut away wherebythe upper portions of the end walls will overlap the upper portions ofthe rear wall, the confronting faces of said end portions of the endwalls and rear wall being beveled downwardly and laterally anddownwardly and longitudinally whereby to cause said walls to interlock,the confronting, overlapping portions of the front and rear walls beingreduced in thickness, the ends of said reduced portions formingconfronting shoulders, the confronting faces of said shoulders beingconiplernentarily beveled.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

CHARLES L. VAN NOSTR-AND.

